The White Fox and the Rope Shrine Maiden
by Word spinner
Summary: Plot : The Mikado orders Seimei to investigate the Himuro mansion. With him go Hiromasa and Mitsumushi. During their stay, they become separated, due to Kirie’s time distortion. Seimei meets Miku. Together, they must rescue Mafuyu and Hiromasa
1. Default Chapter

I will continue only if it seems to be well received. For now, Chapter One will do. If it is proven to be a worthwhile effort, it will continue on.

And, if you're reading this, Kerriane : Damn your work is good. I always look forward to the 'Patients' and now, the 'Sae in a Nutshell' series.

So funny! You are talented in making people laugh!

On we go...

As a point of note, yes, this is my first fanfiction. So I give no guarantees about its quality...

I welcome any questions...

**I do not own Onmyoji, nor Fatal Frame. **

If you are not familiar with the Onmyoji cast, here is a brief summary.

**Abe no Seime**i : Powerful 'Yin-Yang' master. Uses Shinto sorcery. He is very sly, and very brave. Seimei has a very fox-like smile. He is always calm and composed, and rarely gets angry.

**Hiromasa** : A friend of Abe no Seimei who works for the Mikado. He is constantly surprised by Seimei's strange sense of humor. He often gets himself into trouble.

**Mitsumushi** : Either a woman who was given the ability to change into a butterfly, or the other way around. It is difficult to say, knowing Seimei. She is extremely loyal to him, and as long as she dies in butterfly form, Seimei can resurrect her. She says little, but sometimes repeats Seimei's words to add emphasis, usually to prove Hiromasa wrong.

**The White Fox and the Rope Shrine Maiden**

**Chapter One**

On a clear, cold, moon-lit night, three figures drew near the majestic form of Himuro Mansion. They stopped at the gates and admired its beauty. The middle figure, dressed in imperial robes made a gesture and spoke.

"Well, here we are. A grand place, wouldn't you agree...Hiromasa?"

"It huge! But it looks a little run down." He looked about in wonder. "Seimei...who lives here?"

"Who _did_ live here? This was the mansion of Lord Himuro."

"Lord...Himuro." Hiromasa frowned. "I've never heard of that name..."

Seimei cast his friend a knowing smile. "That's because it doesn't exist. Lord Himuro succumbed to madness, and was excommunicated. His name was removed from the records of the Capital."

"Madness? What did he do?"

"It is said...that a ritual went awry, and that in a rage he slew every member of his household. Unquiet spirits have been known to dwell here, and several priests have vanished during visits to its shrine."

"That's awful!" Hiromasa gasped. "So why are we here?"

"To exorcise the place, of course!" he cast Hiromasa a reproachful glance and started off.

_"Of course!"_ Mitsumushi repeated with an equally reproachful look.

They passed through the gates freely. "We must find out just what Lord Himuro was up to. Rituals are not for amateurs." Seimei made a gesture and the main doors opened. The three stepped quietly inside.

It was dark. Frighteningly dark, Hiromasa thought. The silence was oppressive.

Mitsumushi looked about apprehensively.

Only Seimei seemed at ease. "Come, let's go."

As they drew near the room, a candle beside them flared into life.

Both Hiromasa and Mitsumushi stared at it with wide eyes. 　

Seimei smiled. "We are expected."

For the next few hours things were very uncomfortable for Hiromasa. Even with Seimei, he found himself constantly looking over his shoulder, starting at every sound. They had been from room to room, passage to passage. They hadn't met a soul, and perhaps that made the tension even worse. How he wished the spirits would just come out! Worse still, Seimei didn't seem in a hurry either. On and on they went, occasionally finding locked doors which Seimei wanted to return to later. Now they were at a small library on the second floor. Seimei and Mitsumushi were inside, glancing over books and scrolls.

Hiromasa watched Mitsumushi in envy. As long as she was with her master, she was always happy. She didn't feel the same sense of true horror that ate into his bones. Something terrible had happened here; he didn't need to be a priest to feel the eyes of the malevolent spirits glaring at him. It didn't help matters that he was out in the corridor either; the library was rather cramped, especially with the unfurled scrolls Seimei had floating about in the air before him. Hiromasa wondered why his friend couldn't just read them normally like everyone else.

Presently, Seimei murmured with interest.

"Well, well. Lord Himuro seemed to be a very sensible man. But, I question his methods."

"What?" Hiromasa asked, forcing his way in to stand beside them. "What did you find?"

Seimei gestured to the scroll before him. "This region is troubled by malicious spirits. To placate them, sacrifices were made."

"What kind of sacrifices?" Hiromasa asked. His throat felt dry.

Seimei glanced at him askance, from the corners of his long lashed eyes. "From what I have read so far, young women were used; strangled to death. There is reference to a gate, from which the Malice flows. Anointing the gate with blood might have been a bad idea. When you offer wood to the fire, what happens?

"The fire grows...?"

"Exactly. In this way, it might be that in his ignorance, Lord Himuro fed the Malice, until its appetite was too great to manage. I might be wrong. But if that is the case, and the gate is open, we certainly have a great task ahead of us."

They were all silent. Hiromasa moved to the window. Then he gasped.

"Seimei! There's someone down there!"

"Where?" Seimei asked, glancing over his shoulder as he closed up the scrolls.

"Down there in the atrium!"

"We can see better from the balcony." Seimei said, and moved to the next room. He opened the double doors and walked out onto the balcony, looked down over the railing. There indeed was someone; A young man. Seimei frowned. What strange clothing he was wearing…

Hiromasa and Mitsumushi quickly joined Seimei on the balcony.

"Seimei, you shouldn't run off like that!"

"Hiromasa...do you recognize the attire that young man is wearing?"

"No...I've never seen anything like it..." Hiromasa murmured.

The young man was staring up at a tree in the courtyard. There didn't seem to be anything particularly engaging about it; it looked quite dead.

"What is he doing?" Hiromasa asked.

"It may be that a spirit has revealed itself to him...look, he's moving..."

The young man turned and swept his gaze across the mansion. For a moment, he looked straight at the balcony. Then he turned and walked away, out of sight.

"He...didn't see us?" Hiromasa was puzzled.

"Apparently not." Seimei answered.

"Whatever would a youth be doing here, I wonder?" Hiromasa wondered aloud.

"Why don't you go and ask him?" Seimei said. "He seemed quite alive to me. There shouldn't be any danger."

"What? Go off into this maze of corridors all alone? Never!"

"I too would be keen to know who that boy was, and what brought him here. We can save a lot of time if you go and speak to him. I have my own business to attend to here. If you are worried, Mitsumushi can go with you."

The butterfly maiden stepped forward keenly.

Hiromasa eyed his friend dubiously. "Okay, we'll go...but how will we find you again?"

Seimei smiled. "Mitsumushi will know. Failing that, I will come after _you_, if you take too long.

Hiromasa nodded. "Well, Mitsumushi, it's the two of us again. Let's go."

She smiled and nodded and together they hurried back to the stairs.

Seimei watched them leave and shook his head in amusement as he turned back to the atrium below. Then he frowned. Strange. The night seemed warmer. No stars shone. There were clouds. He stared in astonishment. The tree was withered, far more so than before. The passing of time was revealed upon the shrine opposite it, and, Seimei noticed, on the very balcony he stood upon. The wood was now cracked and ancient. There was dust. The very feel of the place had changed; from cold and unwelcoming to a great sense of anticipation. Seimei remained very still, his eyes narrowing in troubled suspicion. There came a scream; a girl's scream.

Mitsumushi? Seimei thought. No...far too shrill. He caught sight of movement in the courtyard and looked down.

A young girl, dressed in the same odd clothing as the boy they had seen moments before was running like mad across the atrium. She seemed hysterical. Then he realized why.

A white mist trailed her. "It hurts..." the spirit screamed, taking form into a broken necked woman, her arms outstretched.

Seimei wasted no time. Raising his hand and placing his fingers to his lips, he began and incantation...


	2. Miku, Seimei and sake

**Chapter Two**

**Seimei and Miku**

Miku ran for her life, her legs shaky, heavy as lead. For her, every step was an effort. Behind her, the chill came closer and closer. She felt the spirit's ethereal hands brush against her hair and screamed, almost stumbling in her terror. She didn't dare look back.

Then there was a sudden stillness...a tranquility...Miku could feel it. The ghost's power waned. Trembling, she slowed and spun around, her breathing hard, her camera at the ready.

The ghost was had come to a complete stop. Miku blinked in astonishment. It was just hanging there in the open, as if it was caught in an invisible net. She stared in wonder, then cocked her head, listening. There was a soft voice on the air. She couldn't make out the words though.

The ghost shrieked in frustration, starting Miku from her lapse. Miku shook her head. She could figure out what was happening later. For now, she'd better get rid of this spirit while she had the chance.

She walked close; perilously close, and took a picture of its writhing face. It shrieked again, but did not move. She took another, and another. The spirit emitted a final howl of defeat and vanished into the ether, leaving Miku alone and thoroughly confused.

She looked about, recalling the voice. It had stopped now. Wandering aimlessly around in the atrium, she wondered what she ought to do next, then came to an abrupt halt. She could feel eyes upon her…where? Miku closed her eyes, concentrating on the vibe._Behind you..._

Swallowing hard, she slowly turned and looked up at the balcony, extremely anxious of what she might see. She blinked. And blinked again. Well...that wasn't so bad...

Upon the balcony stood a man, dressed in white and blue. Upon his head was a tall black hat. He was leaning over the rail, looking right at her. Miku, for her part, stared right back.

Seimei wondered what the girl was doing. He noticed several bright flashes just prior to the spirit's banishment, and they intrigued him greatly. What was that strange little box in her hands? Presently, she drew nearer. Seimei smiled and was about to greet her when she suddenly raised the box at him. There was a loud click and a great flash. Seimei blinked rapidly, momentarily blinded. He checked himself out and was pleased to find himself unharmed.

Miku lowered the camera and waited expectantly. After a moment, he was still standing there. Odd…she thought, then, recalling his reaction, she choked. Impossible...a real person...a LIVE person...was here in the mansion? Why was he dressed like that? She backed up, considering if it would be prudent to flee, or to wait and see what this person might have to say.

Seimei frowned again. What a strange person this girl was turning out to be. She didn't say hello, she didn't attack, she didn't run. She just stood there with such a bewildered expression that Seimei almost laughed. Then he did so, and his jovial laughter banished the eerie feel of the place.

"Who might you be, Miss? This isn't a good place for young women to be, given its history."

The girl started, then calmed. She answered in such a small voice that he had to strain to hear.

"Who are you? Why...why are you dressed...like that?"

"I am Abe no Seimei," Seimei smiled back, "and I would like to ask you that same question. That's quite a unique fashion you're wearing. What is your name?"

"Miku..." Miku answered hesitantly. "Hinasaki Miku...was it you who helped me?"

"Yes, it was."

"How?"

"I will tell you...if you can tell me how you banished it, that spirit. You have some talent, Miss Hinasaki."

Miku shook her head. "No, it's not a talent...I used the power of this camera..." she exhibited the antique. Though he looked closely, Seimei couldn't see much more than a small box in the gloom.

"One moment, Miss Hinasaki, I shall come down. It is troublesome to carry out this kind of conversation." With that, he left the balcony.

Miku watched him disappear and sighed. Whoever he was, that was probably the last time she'd see him. She'd had a gutful of Kirie's time tricks. Still, she waited a couple of minutes anyway._ 'Why am I doing this?' _she muttered aloud. _'I was probably just talking to some weird, friendly ghost...'_ She spun on her heel to leave. There was a painfully loud creaking. Holding her breath and cursing, she froze and glanced over her shoulder.

Seimei emerged from the burial room, still smiling his quirky smile. He approached her with swift, measured strides, coming to a stop about ten feet from her. They looked each other over.

"You're very pretty. How old are you?" Seimei asked.

Miku was taken aback. Of all the things she was considering he might say, she never thought he'd say that!

"I'm seventeen."

"And you came here...all alone? To do what?"

"I came to find my brother! He...he came to this mansion...I must find him!"

Seimei paused. "Well, that shouldn't take long. Was he wearing the same style as you?" he gestured to her clothes. "Describe him to me."

So Miku did. Somehow, inexplicably, she felt at ease with this strange man. She felt she could trust him...at least to some degree. When she had finished, Seimei looked quite smug.

"You are in luck. We saw him, just moments before you made your grand entrance."

Miku brightened. "Y-you saw Mafuyu? You saw my brother? Where was he? What did he do? Is he well? Was he alone? Is he looking for me?"

Seimei raised an arm, gesturing for silence.

"Calm down, Miss Hinasaki. It's not good to get so excited. He was here, in the very atrium. He took a keen interest in that tree." Seimei pointed vaguely. "He seemed well. Nothing accosted him. He was alone, but...if he was looking for you...that I cannot tell."

"You said we. Who is _we_? There are others with you?" Miku asked hopefully. The more living people she could get around her the better!

"Yes." Seimei answered. "Two others came with me. Incidentally, they went off after your brother..." he trailed off, frowning.

"What...?" Miku asked, not liking the way his face was darkening.

"Do you know this property well?"

"Quite well...I've been stuck here for three days..."

"Three days...this atrium...are there any other ways to pass into the back garden, besides the fish-tank room?"

Miku looked thoughtful. "Not that I am aware of...why...?"

"Hiromasa and Mitsumushi...were following your brother. He came through here, the same as you. He was heading for the back garden. Now...if they were following him...why haven't they come through here yet? They would have had to pass here to catch up with your brother...we would have seen them when the spirit attacked, and I certainly did not encounter them on my way down."

"When did all of this with my brother happen?"

"Mere moments before you came." Seimei answered.

"It's Kirie!" Miku muttered under her breath, half expecting the shrine maiden to come floating out of a wall any minute.

"Kirie?" Seimei raised an eyebrow.

"She was the last Rope Shrine Maiden...she's the one doing all of this!"

Seimei looked about, then, gently but firmly, he took hold of Miku's hand and began leading her away.

"Come, tell me everything you know about this Kirie. For now, let's adjourn to a more comfortable place."

They settled down in the fire place room, quite near the entrance of the mansion. Seimei, with a gesture at the old cinders, ignited a fire. To Miku's utter surprise he produced a small bottle of sake and some sake cups.

"You...brought those with you...here?"

"The sake, yes. The cups, Hiromasa found those while we were searching earlier." Using water he had taken from the abyss, Seimei heated it in the kettle, and, wrapping the sake in a cloth, he placed inside to warm it.

Miku sat down opposite him, watching the bright, flickering flames. What a welcome sight they were! After witnessing so many horrors in the dark, the warmth of the flames raised her spirit to no end.

While they waited for the sake to heat up, Seimei sat back, resting against a chest of drawers, eyeing Miku with intense curiosity. Though she was conscious of his gaze, she did not scorn it. She had to admit, she felt safe when he was watching her. She couldn't say why though.

Several minutes past. Seimei reached in and withdrew the small bottle, poured a cup for each of them, and offered one to Miku. Accepting it with thanks, she raised it to her lips, took a sip and smiled...a great big smile, reflected in her eyes.

Seimei smiled too. "I take it the sake is to your liking?" he asked, sipping his own.

"Yes, thank you...it...it makes me feel all warm inside..." she said shyly. Then she grew serious and set her sake aside for a moment. "You mentioned that you want to know all about this place...and Kirie?"

"Yes, if you would honor me. I know that this estate was the home of Lord Himuro, and that he murdered young women to appease the local spirits and seal the Hell Gate, but that is but the first page of the history this place can tell. I am also interested to inspect that device of yours. The camera...wasn't that what you called it?"

"I will tell you," Miku promised, "if you tell me why you came, and why you are dressed like that...it's...awfully traditional."

"Traditional?" Seimei spread his arms and looked down upon his attire. "It is common for members of the court to wear such clothes. And why am I here? The Mikado has grown weary and worried of the many complaints about this estate. Many people have died or disappeared here. We have come to exorcise it."

He glanced again at Miku, only to find her staring at him in the most peculiar way.

"You...you said...the Mikado sent you?" she asked in a choked voice.

"Yes, does that trouble you? If you are an outlaw, don't fear. I am not in the habit of judging others. I won't give you away."

"I'm no outlaw," Miku retorted, slightly offended by the idea. "But...I think I'm beginning to understand what's going on here."

Seimei raised an eyebrow and looked quite intent. "Oh? Do tell."

"Well...I..." she hesitated, wondering if he would even believe her theory. Still, she thought, she had to try. "Well, I come from a later period than you. That's why my clothing is different. In my time, the costume you are wearing is reserved only for ceremonies, or...I guess for acting..." she trailed off to see if Seimei was confused. To her astonishment, he seemed quite apt at accepting and following her theory. She continued. "Soon after I entered, the mansion began to change...older ghosts began to emerge. I found notes left by my brother...he told me Kirie is distorting time, drawing us – Mafuyu and I – further and further back in time. Maybe...somehow...it worked for the outside of the mansion too...I mean...maybe you entered at the time that Kirie had wound back to..." she broke of, scratching her head, the looked up sheepishly. "All I'm doing is confusing myself...I'm sorry..."

"No. I understand. It is a difficult concept...and a disturbing one. This Kirie must be a powerful spirit to control the very flow of time. I should be careful in my dealings with her."

"Forgive me, but I don't think you know what you're dealing with, Seimei. Kirie is utterly malevolent...well...her older form is..."

"Her older form?"

"Her soul is in two minds...in order to perform the ritual correctly, the maiden must be unattached to the world...Kirie was so serious about her duty as a shrine maiden...but she fell in love..."

"She became tainted by worldly desires..." Seimei nodded, smiling.

Miku suddenly felt a great surge of anger flow through her. "It's not something to smile about! She was murdered! They tore her apart! I...I had vision of it..." she hung her head, paling at the memory. "It was..._inhuman..._so_ much _blood..." she looked him in the eye, glowering. "How can you smile so casually? Those priests killed her lover! They _lied to her..._" for a moment, her wrath consumed her. "They made her into this..._this_ _monster! _Maybe...they deserved this fate..."

Seimei had been watching her little tirade with a mixture of amusement and pity. He nodded again, but this time in understanding. "In time, all turns to phantasm. When it is time to die, it dies. Kirie was torn in two, and neither fate would console her. Duty and love..." he sighed. "They have always caused grief...when one tries to satisfy one over the other."

Miku did not answer.

"Still," he continued, "It is an interesting twist...how we shall mend the two together, I cannot guess..."

They were both quite for a while, sipping their sake.

"Aren't you worried about the ghosts?" Miku said at last, not wanting to listen to the silence anymore. "This fire is bound to attract them."

"Why do you think that?" Seimei asked. "We have been here a while and no one has appeared. If a spirit wishes to reveal itself, it will do so. They are not moths. They care little for fires." He noticed the clock in the corner of the room and went over to inspect it.

"That's a clock," Miku explained. "From before my time...after yours...wait! Be careful...a ghost is bound to that clock..."

"Indeed." Seimei said. "Then I'd best not get to close. What does it do?"

"It measures time." Miku answered.

"A useful device," Seimei said, coming back to her, "but not as useful as your...camera...may I see it now?"

"Sure," Miku showed him how it worked, and the picture she took of him earlier.

"And you say these cameras are common?" Seimei was surprised. "Then in the future, there must be no spirits at all."

"No..." Miku couldn't help but smile at his innocent mistake. "Only THIS camera can banish spirits...I don't even know why..."

"Let's just be grateful that it does." Seimei grinned. "Now, we have relaxed enough. You have told me much, I am sure I can put this knowledge to good use. But now we must find Hiromasa...he's probably panicking somewhere, lost. I told him I would go after him if they took too long – " he broke off as a bright blue butterfly fluttered in.

Miku stared at it, completely blown away. It seemed so out of place in the dark, grim mansion...

The butterfly hovered near Seimei's ear. He frowned.

"What's wrong...Seimei?" Miku asked anxiously.

Seimei turned to her and spoke in a low voice. "Hiromasa is in trouble..."


	3. Note from the Author

Gomen ne, okurete sumimasen...

This is a note regarding the lateness of the latest update. Well, next week is Golden Week, and I have eight days off – a good time to get around to finishing work that I can't get around to during the week. (I'm so busy...).

So, very soon, we shall see just what has happened to poor Hiromasa and Mafuyu. Special thanks to Dancing Emu, for being my reviewer. I am happy to see that you wrote about my choices. Personally I am also waiting what will become of Sae and her book...

So, all going well, it will be up by next Sunday night (Japan time). I'm sorry to any who might have hoped this was another chapter, only to find it is a Note from the Author. So much to do! Students may think they have it tough for new year, but teachers must also do much preparation! We are so busy!

So thank you everyone and I shall hurry and do my writing...


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